Skyhold

History

Known as Tarasyl'an Te'las ("the place where the sky is kept" or, more specifically, "the place where the sky was held back") in ancient elvish[1], Skyhold is a fortress located in a stretch of the Frostback Mountains near the Dales, on the border between Orlais and Ferelden, controlling a mountain pass from the kingdom to the empire.
The mountain peak it was built on was the site of rituals carried out by the elves during the height of their civilization, but was later leveled by early Fereldans to provide the foundation of the fortress, making the Keep Fereldan. Ownership of Skyhold has since changed hands many times. During the late Divine Age, it was occupied by a Fereldan enchanter who unsuccessfully sought to learn why the site had been so important to the elves. At one point, even dwarves took residence there. The last known owners of Skyhold lived certainly after the Third Blight with Mason Gatsi suspecting that they had also an extensive trade network.
When Skyhold was rediscovered by the Inquisition, it had fallen into considerable disrepair in the years after its unknown last inhabitants had abandoned it. However, by this time, the magic of the original elven site had permeated the stones of the keep, protecting it from evil.
A living tree was once a symbol of peace between two forgotten factions. Before the first stones of Skyhold's foundations were laid, the tree was cut down, slabbed, and polished to serve as a massive war table.

Alternative Names

Tarasyl'an Te'las

Type

Fortress

Characters in Location

• Athris Mahariel
• Deceit
• Fear
• Fen'gil'an
• Fiona
• Liala Mahariel
• Morrigan